Fun fact about yesterday: the portion of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi that we passed through is affectionately refer to as the "Redneck Riviera". I'm not kidding... it is not an insult. The area in Florida and Alabama is sometimes called "L.A.", which is short for "Lower Alabama". People down there call it "LA" all the time.
Today was cold, wet and overcast. No real rain, but temps in the low 40's. The good news is that we found out that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the Ghia's heating system. Well... almost nothing. Via a lever near the emergency brake, the car routes heat coming off the engine into the passenger compartment. We got some very serious heat. The only problem (and it is very minor) is that the lever slides down to the "off" position over time (like...immediately). Shoving something under the lever remedies the problem.
We were way behind schedule, so we took I-10 again to get started. And then, US90 merges with I-10... so it was basically interstate driving all day today. It actually wasn't bad. We got some great views of the bayou area. Way too cold for any gators however. We sampled some Louisiana cuisine at lunch today. Something new for me... boudin. It is a deep fried mix of sausage and rice that is rolled into a ball (you had me at "deep fried").
After lunch, we hit the roughest roads of the trip. Let me just say that the Ghia doesn't have a "plush" suspension. And since I had the seat springs firmed up right before the trip, half the suspension has been effectively removed. So we feel every bump in the road. A speed bump feels like we are driving over the curb. Certain sections of the roads in Louisiana along I-10 are ridiculous. It was a bit like an amusement ride... for about 30 miles. It was bone-jarring. You could stick a piece of gum in your mouth and it would effectively chew itself.
When we hit Texas, the speed limit increased to 75mph. We immediately stood out because a) even going 75mph, we were the slowest thing on the road and b) the Ghia is not a truck. I'm not kidding about the speed. People were passing us like we were dead armadillos. People on the frontage road (that runs parallel to the interstate) we going faster than us. We were passed by a loaded school bus. I have no idea why everyone in Texas is in such a hurry.
We're going to be in Texas for several days for a couple of reasons. First, we are visiting some great friends of ours in Houston (Jackie, David and Emory, whose first birthday party is tomorrow). Secondly, Texas is HUGE. It will take us days to cross the state. And we are going to the northwest corner... way up in the panhandle.
Texas is so big, that is could be its own country (and should be say the people from Texas). If Texas was its own country, it would the 40th largest country in the world based on land area. If Texas was its own country, it would be the 14th country in the world based on economy (GDP). If Texas was its own country, it would the the 48th largest in terms of population (FYI, the CIA lists 240 countries). If Texas was its own country, it would have nuked some other country into oblivion by now.... so those previous statistics may be irrelevant.
I actually lived in Texas for a while... during my formative years - kindergarten through to the start of second grade. We lived in Houston. My best friend at the time was Terry Thompson and his dad worked for NASA. Specifically, the Johnson Space Station. During the height of the space program (somewhere around Gemini, but before Apollo) I attended the NASA company picnic. The one event that sticks out the most to me about that picnic occurred while I watching the softball game, as I was standing along the first base line. I don't know who was batting (could have been Neil Armstrong for all I know), but I took a line drive foul ball directly into my gut that knocked me back a couple of weeks. I think I was the one who coined the phrase "Houston, we have a problem". I vividly remember how nice everyone was to me afterwards (not that they weren't nice before).
Enough nostalgia... The only sight-seeing we did along the way today was at Blue Elbow Swamp. Like the Okefenokee or the Everglades, swamps can be incredibly gorgeous landscapes filled with life. At this time of year, the swamp is cold and quiet - but still beautiful. It was freezing and Angela had enough sense to stay in the visitor center.
We made it to Jackie, David and Emory's place by about 5pm. They live in the city of Houston (not the suburbs) in an area that is undergoing a revitalization. Their place is one of the new developments and is very cool. Dinner was at a classic Mexican restaurant in what appears to be a somewhat industrial part of Houston. There is a competing Mexican restaurant right next door... but no other shops or restaurants in the area (that I could see). Both places were absolutely packed. Standing room only. And while Emory had an exhaustive day at school, she was perfect - possibly in anticipation of her first birthday, which is tomorrow.
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